
Class ^I^'li 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



ITS HISTORY, IMPORTANCE AND VALUE 
BY 

JOHN KAY 

FIRST EDITION 
DE LUXE 

COMPILED AND DESIGNED BY 

WALLACE GILBERT KAY 



Published by 

JOHN KAY & COMPANY 



DIRECT DIAMOND IMPORTERS, SECOND 
FLOOR MAJESTIC EUILDING, DETROIT 



NEW YORK 



LONDON AMSTERDAM 



PARIS 



orimi OTCuNGFiESS 
Two Oopips Rer.pived 

NOV 7 1908 









COPYRIGHT 1908 

BY 

JOHN KAY & CO. 
DETROIT 



^.53 



0^ 



i 



Introduction 



OIAMOND, one of the elements of nature, is 
shrouded in a mysterious fascination which is 
not only peculiar unto itself, but which rivals 
any other scientific research. Its formation and vari- 
ance in color are questions yet unsolved, while the 
important role which it has played, and is today play- 
ing, in men*s lives and the world's history tends to 
increase its natural fascination and the desire to know 
more about it. 

^ Although not the most costly of the i ized 

precious stones, the diamond is with stion 

the most highly prized of all gems, ^reat 

transparency and brilliancy, combinii , the 

properties of the two most oppos" the 

transparency and purity of water ar; y of 

fire; and it is this varying pecufiaritl ; the 

diamond its wide scope as re>~ards its <j nlue. 

How 

about o 

look d 

refine 

tell aj.yuiitiH ■ 

by its "size," which is really the last point that should 
be considered. 

^ This book, therefore, is written to arouse a keener 
interest in the diamond and for those who desire to 
know more about it without delving too deeply into a 
scientific examination. 

P»ge tcven 




Page eight kohinur and great m6cul diamoni 



The Diamond 



I. 

> ITOOL hath said there is no Gpd," yet mortal 
1 I man since the time of remote history has tried 
in vain to reproduce the diamond and, in fail- 
ing, to give to the world a worthy substitute — v.f wlfl-. 
out success, for nature cannot be reproduced. 

^ The diamond's beauty has been sung by poets, 
written of. by sages and fought for by kings. The 
very choicest of its kind were bestowed upon the altars 
of the Gods as offerings of the earth's greatest treas- 
ures. What crime has not been committed in its name 
to ^vin for itself 's sake or for its dross worth! Tem- 
ples have been profaned; pal?xes looted; thrones de- 
stroyed and families torn asunder, and of all the highly 
prized and famous diamonds of the world there is net 
one, save the Cullinan, which is not written in treachery 
and blood and yet withal has r '■ " ' -Wned, 



^^^&f^ 




Page 



HE DIAMOND 

■iiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiiiiii ■iiiniiii iiwi iiiiiii i PI ■■■■iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiii iiiinuMiiiiiiiiiiii 



History 



^^JHE history of the diamond dates back many 
^^) hundreds and even thousands of years, and it 
^^ w?.s probably known of and prized among the 
other gems in use during the ancient Babylonian 
civilization, 6000 to 7000 B. C. Diamonds at that 
time, hov/ever, were not as greatly prized as articles of 
ornamentation on account of their extreme hardness 
and the inability of man at that early date to find a 
means of cutting and polishing this stone. 1 he pearl, 
therefore, at that time was considered the most precious 
of this world's goods. All through early history the 
diamond is seldom mentioned, except as when used as 
an amulet to protect the wearer from mental and 
bodily evils and to insure happiness. Garnets, topaz, 
jade, aquamarine, malachite, emeralds, opals and 
pearls were considered among the most highly prized 
gems for personal ornamentation on account of their 
being much more easily handled, and it was not until 
a much later period that diamonds really became the 
much sought for jewel. Biblical history tells us that 
the twelve tribes of Israel were designated by twelve 
precious stones, but the diamond is not included in the 
list, yet there is no doubt but that it v/as known of at 
that time. 

^31 During the mad passion for precious stones which 
from the time of King Solomon and Queen Sheba 

Page ten 



THE DIAMOND 

Cutting 

^^:;^HE cutting of the diamond at first baffled the 
^ J ancient lapidaries and no real advancement 
was made in cutting until the fifteenth century. 
Previous to this time a diamond was not cut and 
polished as we know them today and, in fact, size was 
so highly prized by the Hindoos that very little was 
done in polishing in order to keep the stone as large as 
possible. This is so clearly shown in some of the 
world's large diamonds that I will speak of the famous 
Koh-i-nur, Regent and Great Mogul, and also show 
the original shape and size and how they appeared 
after the fact was recognized that a properly cut stone 
was far more valuable and desirable than mere bulk. 
^ The famous Koh-i-nur and Great Mogul diamonds 
(see page 8), which were found in the famous 
Indian diamond mine of Golconda along with the 
Regent and other famous diamonds, have a most 
interesting history. Just when these two diamonds 
were found is not known but, as they both appear and 
became famous through their association with the court 
of the Great Moguls (1526 A. D.), their history 
really dates from that time. The glory and splendor 
of the Great Moguls, who were enthroned at Delhi, 
rival any conception which the human mind can form 
or easily conceive. Descended from Timon the Tartar 
and through him direct descendants of the Sun, the 



I \ Page thirteen 



4 ^ 




z^- 



I 

V 




THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF CUTTING DIAMONDS. KNOWN AS THE 
BRILLIANT CUTTING. SHOWING TOP. BACK AND 8°DE 

Page fourteen 



HE DIAMOND 



Great Moguls were worshipped as divine beings. 
Being such in the minds of their subjects, the most 
costly of the world's treasures were none too good for 
these mighty rulers. Their court, therefore, as can 
well be imagined, left nothing to be wished for in the 
way of splendor. Entering the main gateway of the 
palace along a magnificent avenue, which led into the 
main square, were stationed the bodyguards, wearing 
wonderful turbans and rich cloth stuffs of finest tex- 
ture; flanking these guards were rows of lavishly 
caparisoned elephants displaying the peculiar banners 
of the Moguls, which were of silver and gold. Con- 
tinuing on past the many beautiful flower beds and 
splashing fountains to the great assembly hall, or 
Durbar, as it was known, the eye is fairly astounded 
at the rich hangings and tapestries in the royal colors 
of gold and purple, with the mystic symbols of the Sun 
wonderfully interwoven, which overhang the great 
marble walls. Here was the court of the Moguls and 
the famous throne, the m.ost elaborate the world has 
ever known. The throne itself was fashioned entirely 
of pure gold, thickly set with the most precious stones, 
and reposed under a canopy of gold cloth supported 
by silver poles. Two majestic peacocks, the symbol of 
the Sun and worshipped by the Hindoos, also made 
entirely of pure gold and embellished with precious 
stones to closely resemble the living colors of the sacred 
bird, stood one on either side, while these were flanked 

Page fifteen 



HE DIAMOND 



by numerous large gold vases filled with flowers clev- 
erly fashioned in gold, whose leaves and petals were 
precious stones. 

^ The great Mogul himself, when he ascended the 
sumptuous royal throne, even rivaled this vast display 
of riches. Gowned in gold cloth which was covered 
with heavy gold braid studded with gems, his turban 
was of the royal gold and purple, made of finest silk 
and likewise set with stones. Around his neck and 
shoulders hung long rows of immense pearls and 
diamonds; his arms, wrists and ankles were covered 
with bands of gold, richly set, and even the coverings 
for his feet, his saber and belt flashed back the light 
of day in the resplendent colors of many jewels. 

C| Here was the home of the great Koh-i-nur diamond 
(see page 8), the priceless possession which was to 
be so instrumental in the destruction of all this glory. 
The fame of the Moguls was world wide and caused 
many an envious Rajah to attempt the capture of 
Delhi; but none were successful until Baber in April, 
1526, slew the last of the great Moguls at the battle 
of Pariput and the much prized Koh-i-nur diamond 
was bestowed upon the Sultan's favorite son. Shah 
Rokh, along with other famous diamonds. Shah 
Rokh, hov/ever, was seized and blinded by the Aga 
Mohammed in a vain effort to have him produce the 
coveted Koh-i-nur and, in failing, he shaved his vic- 

Page sixteen 



II F D 1 ,\ M o :■■: n 

tim*s head, and circled it vvilli a ring of paste to hold 
boiling oil, but even this torture failed to produce the 
diamond. The Koh-i-nur later passed to Shah Zaman, 
who was imprisoned by his brother Shuja to force the 
surrender of the gem and, in failing, he put his 
brother's eyes out, but even this failed to make Zaman 
disclose the hiding place of the diamond which he had 
hidden in his prison. 

^ When Shuja finally came into possession of the 
diamond, however, he was blinded by a third brother, 
Mahmud, and only yielded up the priceless stone to 
Runjeet Singh to save his family from a death of the 
greatest agony. After the sack of Delhi the Great 
Mogul (see page 8), which had shared all the 
glories of the Koh-i-nur at Delhi, is supposed to have 
been spht into three stones, while others claim that the 
Orloff diamond, owned by the Czar of Russia, is 
none other than the Great Mogul; but Streeter is of 
the opinion that the Great Mogul diamond has never 
come to light. The Koh-i-nur, however, remained in 
the possession of Runjeet Singh, who on his deathbed 
wanted to give the Koh-i-nur as a gift to the Gods to 
atone for his sins, but, being too weak to sign the 
necessary papers of delivery, the stone passed to his 
son, who possessed it until the Indian mutiny, when it 
was seized by the English forces and on June 3, 
1850, this famous diamond, which had caused so 



Page teventeen 






Page eighteen 



Ofr., SHOVVING DIAMONDS EN 



TIRELY FACETED 



THE D 1 A ri O N D 

mill III iiii iiUBiiii III ■i»ii III Ktmatv'flxai^s^v^^g^K^-r' ^ff^-ns^-f^^'^i^-'f^sifr'^^^^'i^'^'^^ 

much suffering and bloodshed, was presented to Queen 
Victoria, and was later re-cut and placed among the 
crown jewels. 

^ The diamond is the hardest of all known substances 
and upon which the strongest acids have no effect. It 
will cut not only every other stone, but hardened steel 
as well. As is known, the diamond is carbon, which 
has been changed through intense heat and 'pressure 
into pure crystalized carbon, and is found in almost 
all forms of the isometric system, but more often in the 
octahedral or dodecahedral forms. Two pyramids 
with triangular sides and a common base make up the 
octahedral. Twelve faces or rhombs of lonzenge 
shape form the dodecahedron. It was commonly sup- 
posed by Hindoos of the early time that diamonds 
grew like onions or carrots and that it took 1 5 to 20 
years for them to obtain a medium size. Others, 
again, believed them to be fragments of celestial 
bodies, fallen to earth; while still others claimed them 
to be solidified dewdrops. This last belief no doubt 
can be traced to the old traditional belief that crystal 
was snow frozen so hard that the action of the elements 
had no effect upon it. This strange belief has given 
rise to the present-day saying, "diamonds of the purest 
water." 

^ These various beliefs, while to us today seem 
ridiculous in the extreme, we must not lose si^i " 



Page nineteen 



THE DIAMOND 

the fact that they originated at a time when mineral- 
ogy and chemistry were not advanced as far as they 
are today and that India, "the Home of the famous 
diamonds," was a country saturated in superstition. 
And it was not until savagery was on the wane and 
civilization began more and more to dominate its sway 
that diamonds were cut and mounted in gold and silver 
and prized for their beauty's sake. The rising of the 
modern art of cutting diamonds can, without question, 
be marked from the time of Louis de Berguen, 1456, 
and was later given impetus by Louis XIV, who took 
a great delight in the study of the cutting of diamonds. 
Diamonds gradually advanced from their barbaric 
usage to be highly prized as artistic articles of adorna- 
tion, but it was also found that, in order to obtain the 
full beauty of a diamond, it had to be cut mathematic- 
ally correct. This truth became more apparent as the 
art of diamond cutting progressed, so that eventually 
all of the world's great diamonds were recut, even at a 
great loss in weight, but which resulted in an equal 
advance in beauty and value. 

^ A diamond, to be of correct proportion, should be 
one-third above the girdle and two-thirds below (see 
page 1 8) and the faces, or facets, so cut that total re- 
fraction of the light rays takes place. I might explain 
that, unless the facets of a diamond are cut about 24° 
13', a ray of light, instead of striking an inside facet 

Page ns'«nty 



HE D I A M O N 



and causing total refraction, is divided, Iialf being 
reflected and half passing through the stone. This is 
because the angle of reflection is always equal to the 
angle of incidence and both the incident and reflected 
ray are perpendicular to the surface of reflection. A 
diamond, if properly formed, a ray of light, entering is 
split up into its component parts and instead of the 
white light which entered there is given off various 
delicate shades of light, as may be seen in a rainbow. 

^ While it is of the greatest importance that a 
diamond should be correctly formed and cut mathe- 
matically correct, it takes an experienced cutter to 
produce a perfectly-cut stone; hence, diamonds which 
are generally sold as bargains are defective in cutting, 
if not in color, for the finest grades of diam.onds are 
cut so accurately that the girdle is brought to a knife 
edge and finely polished. 

CI The advancement made in cutting during the time 
the Koh-i-nur was found, and the Regent, is very 
noticeable (see page 23). The Regent was also 
found in the mine of Golconda in 1701, by a slave 
who, upon discovering it, cut a gash in his leg deep 
enough to conceal his prize and then, wrapping a 
bandage about his wounded limb, hastily made his 
way to the seacoast at his earliest opportunity, where 
he embarked in a British sailing vessel. After he was 
safely at sea, he, during a very thoughtless moment. 



Page twenly-one 



HE DIAMOND 



disclosed his good fortune to the captain of the vessel 
and in so doing sealed his doom, for the knowledge 
that the possessor of such a valuable diamond was 
solely in his power proved too great a temptation to 
the captain, who threw the slave overboard and sold 
the gem to an Indian diamond merchant, from whom 
it passed into the possession of Thomas Pitt, then 
governor of Ft. St. George. The diamond, weighing 
4 1 carats, was at that time one of the four largest 
known diamonds and this very fact so worried Pitt 
that his very existence became a burden to him lest he 
should be murdered, and, during all the time it was in 
his possession, it was never out of his sight. He finally 
sold his treasure to the Duke of Orleans, who was at 
that time Regent of France during the minority of 
Louis XV, for $675,000. So it came into the 
possession of the Bourbons and was held by them until 
the French Revolution, when, in I 792, it was stolen 
by robbers who, not knowing how to dispose of it after 
they had secured it, threw it into the ditch along the 
Champ Elysees, where it was found and again restored 
to the Crown. Later it was held in pawn by a mer- 
chant named Trescow, when it again was restored to 
royalty and formed the center stone in tlse hilt of the 
sword of Napoleon I, where it remained until the 
overthrow of the Empire. So the Regent, while not 
having as livid a history as many famous diamonds, 
passed through the stormy days of Franrp. wl irl- made 

Page twenty-two ; 





A NEW FORM OF DIAMOND CUTTrNO, KNOWN AS THE SUN RAY CUTTINQ 

Page twenty-three 



THE DIAMOND 

and unmade kings and emperors, and now reposes as 
one of the government's treasures in the Galerie 
d'Apollon in the Louvre. 

^ In the history of all of these diamonds, the fact that 
cutting plays such an important part should deeply 
impress upon the reader this very important feature 
Vv'hich makes a gem desirable, and in no instance is this 
brought more forcibly to the attention than in the 
history of the Sancy diamond (see page 11), which 
was also found in the world famous mines of India. 
When found, this stone attracted much attention owing 
to its size, which weighed about 100 carats. It was 
left, however, to the artist, Louis de Berguen, to bring 
out its many virtues by recutting it, which he did in 
1456. The diamond, although now weighing but 
53% carats, immediately sprang into fame for its 
exquisite beauty and fire and became the property of 
Charles the Bold, who wore the glittering jewel at the 
battle of Nancy, 1477, where it was lost during the 
rout that took place, and was picked up by a Swiss 
soldier on the field of battle after the fight. This 
beautiful diamond was lo him, however, only a piece 
of glass of unusual glitter and he was glad to sell it to 
a priest for one florin, or about 40 cents. The priest, 
however, knew as little of its real value as the soldier 
and was glad to make a franc, or 20 cents, by selling 
it to the Burghers of Berne. The diamond there dis- 

Pftge twenty-four 



HE D I A M O N 



)pears for nearly; 1 00 years, during which time it was 
^.hanging hands through private parties, when it ulti- 
mately came into possession of the King of Portugal. 
The King, however, being in need of money, secured 
a loan through M. de Sancy, treasurer to the King of 
France, on this beautiful stone and it was later pur- 
chased outright by M. de Sancy for 1 00,000 francs, 
or $20,000. Upon Sancy being appointed ambassa- 
dor to Solothern, Henry III required him to send him 
the gem as a pledge. Accordingly, M. de Sancy. 
giving the diamond to a messenger dispatched him to 
his sovereign. The messenger was, however, mur- 
dered en route and the diamond supposed to have been 
lost. By the order of M. de Sancy the body of his 
messenger was later dug up and the diamond found 
in his stomach. It was then raised from the grave to 
be worn by Queen Elizabeth of England, and later 
taken by James II in his flight to France, from whom 
it was bought by Louis XIV and so again came into 
French possession and was highly prized among the 
crown jewels, until it was stolen along with the Tav- 
anier and Regent diamonds in 1 792, when all trace 
of it is lost until it reappears in Russia in the possession 
of a noble family, from whom it passes to London 
merchants and then finds its way back to India into the 
possession of the Maharajah of Puttiala, with whom it 
now rests. So ends the romantic tale of another of the 
world's famous diamonds, whose beauty brought it to 
fame through the skill of Louis de Berguen, whose 
recutting has made this stone known as one of the most 
beautiful in existence. Page twenty-five 



11 i: DIAMOND 



Color 

XHAVE tried to show how important it is to 
have a diamond properly cut, in order to have 
it show its full worth, and I will now speak on 
the color of diamonds, which many people look upon 
too lightly. 

^ Diamonds are found in many colors, such as blue 
white, brown, green, red, yellow, blue, violet, white, 
black and many bi-colors of these already mentioned, 
the rarest shades, however, taken in their order, being 
red, green, blue, pink and mauve. 
^ The only red diamond known to jewelers is the 
Halphen red diamond, which weighs one carat and 
was sold for $4,000 several years ago. Blue dia- 
monds are equally as scarce, but four being known to 
history, and these are supposed to be one and the same 
identical stone, that is, the four stones recorded repre- 
sent the original Travanier blue diamond (see page 
1 1 ) and its three parts, into which it is supposed it 
was cut. The history of this diamond is very inter- 
esting, and I will try to briefly outline it. 
^ This famous diamond, found in India in the famous 
P. I .,,,,-1^ mine, already mentioned, was purchased by 
?r in about the year 1640. who took it with 
! im i)ii iiis return to Europe and sold it to Louis XIV 
in 1668. Its color was described as a beautiful violet 




OlAMONO ORNAMENT BY JOHI 
USING ABOUT 15 CT8. 



i KAY AND COMPANY, 
OF DIAMONDS 

Page twenty -seven 



THE DIAMOND 

and weighed 112^ carats in the rough and 76 carats 
when cut. If figured later in an historic scene, as told 
by Edwin Streeter, F. R. G. S.. M. A. I., in 1715, 
when the old monarch, Louis XIV, who was about to 
be visited by the Persian ambassador, exerted all of 
his strength to be sumptuously bedecked for the occa- 
sion. He, therefore, dressed in a black suit, which 
was ornamented with gold and embroidered with dia- 
monds, and suspended from a light blue ribbon was 
this wonderful blue diamond. It is stated that the 
King at this time wore jewels to the value of 
£12,000,000, or $60,000,000. This stone was 
later seized in August, 1 792, along with the rest of 
the French regalia and deposited in the Garde- 
Meuble, from v/hence it was stolen in September of 
the same year. From that time the whereabouts of the 
great Tavernier blue diamond became a mystery and, 
up to this time, was the only blue diamond knov^ in 
existence. So when, in 1830, a blue brilliant came to 
light without a history and, although weighing only 
44 J4 carats, a strong suspicion was aroused that this 
was none other than the Tavernier diamond, recut, 
since about the same time two other blue diamonds 
appeared as mysteriously, which weighed, however, 
considerably less but which, from thejr peculiar forms, 
would go to make up the original shape and weight of 
the Tavernier diamond. 



Page twenty-eighl 



HE D I A M O 



^ This diamond which appeared in 1 830 passed into 
[he possession of the late Mr. Hope, and became 
known as the Hope diamond, and later it passed into 
the possession of a New Yorker, where it remains 
today, mounted as a brooch and surrounded by 
!wenty-one carat blue white diamonds (see page 11). 
fl These colors, however, are rarities and not to be 
met with every day. So that, while considerable in- 
terest is connected with them, to know something more 
about the color of diamonds which we come in daily 
contact with is of greater interest. 
^ Diamonds are assorted into groups, or grades, at 
the mines, according to their purity, color and size, 
and their value and selling price determined before 
they are shipped to the Syndicate's offices in London 
and Amsterdam, where they are given into the hands 
of the cutter.' The following are the various grades 
nto which they are divided, and the percentage of 
^uch diamonds mined: 

( Close goods, stones over ] kt 8.2% 

n c. Irregular Shapes of all sizes 3 % 

Pu.e Stones- -j j^^,^^ ^^ ^j, ^j^^^ ^^^^^ , ,^, 3 , ^^ 

1^ Brown Stones of all sizes 3 % 

Spotted Goods, all sizes • 12 % 

Cleavages, pure and spotted, over 1 kt. . . . 31.3% 

Chips, pure pieces under 1 kl 3.3% 

Chips, spotted pieces under 1 kl 8 % 

Maacles and Flat Stones, pure and spotted, all fi?es. . , 4.3% 

Rejections • 1 1-4% 

Bort — diamonds not suitable for cutting. ... . 12.4% 

100% 
Page twenty-nine 



THE DIAMOND 

^ These are the percentages taken from the leading 
diamond mines of today, the De Beers, Premier, 
Kimberly, and Jagersfontein mines. It will be seen by 
these figures that pure stones form only about 8% of 
the diamonds mined, and of this 8% only a small 
percentage of what is known as blue white diamonds 
are produced. 

^ Blue white diamonds are today greatly sought after 
on account of their great brilliancy and purity, but it is 
only by constantly watching the diamond shipments 
from the mines to the cutters in Amsterdam, London 
and New York that importers are able to secure this 
much sought quality of color. The percentage of blue 
white diamonds mined is so small compared with the 
great demand for this extra quahty of color, that their 
value will advance greatly within the next few years. 

^ Color in a diamond is impossible for a novice to 
carry in his mind in order for comparison, so that my 
advice, gained through 30 years of the study of dia- 
monds, during which time milHons of dollars worth of 
diamonds have passed through my hands, to any who 
anticipate purchasing a diamond is to deal with a firm 
of established reputation, who are in touch with the 
diamond cutters of the world, who carry only the 
finest grade of goods and who know a stone of fine 
quality when they see it. To such a firm you can trust 
yourself entirely, but above all suggestions I would 

Page thirty 



H 



D 



A 



MONO 



impress on a buyer is, * 'Whatever you buy secure the 
best, even if it is not quite as great in size as you 
intended at first," for any responsible firm will allow 
you in full what you pay, if at any time in the future 
you wish to add more to your original purchase and 
secure a larger stone. 





^ 



Page thirty-one 




THE GREAT CUULINAN DIAMOND A8 tT WILL APPEAR 
_ ,. WHEN RKCUT INTO THREE PARTS 

rage thirty-two 



THE D I A M O N D 



Purity 



XHAVE spoken about the cutting and color of 
the diamond, and the next and final considera- 
tion is purity, which, coupled with the two 
preceding conditons, go to make Le gem perfect. 

^ Cutting, color and purity are often sacrificed for 
size by many diamond buyers. Th s in itself is grossly 
erroneous, since such a stone has absolutely no virtue 
by which to claim recognition, it being by far better to 
have a blue white stone or white stone with a slight 
carbon speck or flaw than a much larger stone which 
has no points of quality whatever. 

^ The CulHnan, the latest addition to the world's 
great diamonds, while being of excellent quahty is, 
however, flawed ; yet it will rank as the greatest of all 
diamonds, for the Cullinan or Premier diamond, 
weighed in the rough 3,032 carats, or 1 % pounds, 
and is now being cut for King Edward VII, to whom 
it was given as a gift from the Transvaal in recognition 
of his granting a constitution to the Colony. This 
great diamond was found in the Premier mine in 1905 
by a Mr. Wells, an old employee of the company, 
who, making his accustomed rounds, noticed the dia- 
mond's gleam and picking it up hurriedly put it into 
his pocket and, in a still greater hurry, he rushed to 
the company's offices where he proudly and excitedly 

Page' thirty- three 



HE DIAMOND 



displayed his find to the officers of the company', who, 
after recovering from their great astonishment, quickly 
sent the news of the finding of the "world's ^ing of 
diamonds'* to the four corners of the earth. So was 
the greatest of diamonds heralded into the world, to 
play a part how important no one can foretell, but in 
ages to come, when all else so vivid in our minds now 
shall have faded to insignificance, the world's greatest 
diamond will continue to gleam, in glory undiminished, 
and who would dare to forecast from the livid careers 
of other world famous diamonds what will be the 
history of this wonderful stone. The Cullinan dia- 
mond is white and in the rough measured 4" x 2!/2" x 
1 " or 2". Owing to some slight flaws, the great stone 
will be split up and cut into three diamonds (see page 
32), so as to eliminate as much as possible all defects. 
The larger diamond will weigh, when cut, between 
500 or 600 carats, and will be placed among the 
crown jewels. Even this will be larger than any other 
diamond, while the other two will be somewhat smaller 
but nevertheless ranking among the great diamonds of 
the world. 

^ When found, the Cullinan diamond had four clev- 
age planes, Vv^hich has led experts to believe that the 
great stone is but a part of a much larger body which, 
no doubt, still lies somewhere in the Great Premier 
mine. Just when this wll be brought to light and 

Page thirtV'four 



H 



M 



o 



what crowned head shall be its proud possessor re- 
mains for the future to unfold. Until then the great 
Cullinan diamond shall rest with the well guarded 
royal jewels of England, and itself the king of dia- 
monds and most prized among the priceless. 




NAPOLEON'S JEWELED SWORC SHOWING FAMOUS REGENT OrAMOND 
SET IN HANDLE 



Page thirty.five 



HE D 1 A M O N D 

Diamond Mines 

INCE history does not tell when or how the 
first diamond was found or in what part of the 
world it was first known, it has been taken for 
granted that India was "the home of the first diamond" 
and that district of production lay along the Kistna 
and Gcdaveri rivers and was worked by hand in the 
most crude fashion. Tavernier states that during his 
visit to the mines of Golconda in I 640, the country 
em.bracing the rich mines was known as the district of 
Golconda, and that in one mine alone there were 
60,000 natives employed in digging, breaking and 
assorting the diam.ond-bearing ground. Holes were 
dug straight down in order to tap the rich strata of 
conglomerate which carried the diamonds, and the 
mines were worked in this way. At times during the 
rainy season the laborers were forced to work in water 
up to their waists, so that diamond mining was very 
slow and dangerous, owing to the frequent caving in 
of the sides of these pits, or shafts. However, this 
district became fam»ous as a commercial center and 
attracted men from far and near seeking fortunes, as 
well as merchants of all nationalities. Thus this dis- 
trict flourished for m.any years until the mines became 
more difficult to work and its supply to decrease. 
^ Activity in diamond mining was then transferred to 
Brazil, where they were discovered in the year 1 727 

Pa;-;e thirtv-six 




DIAMOND ORNAMENT BY JOHN KAY AND COMPANY 
USING ABOUT 10 CTS. OF DIAMONDS 

Page thirty-seven 



THE DIAMOND 

and where many very fine stones were found, the most 
famous of which was the Star of the South, which 
later found its way into the possession of the Gaikwak 
of Baroda. The Brazilian mines are worked today, 
but on a much smaller scale, owing to the great cost 
entailed in working. 

^ The scene again shifts from the new to the old 
world, where, in 1867, the diamond was discovered 
in South Africa. Precious stones and minerals were 
sought hundreds of years before in this part of the 
world, first by the Portuguese in the twelfth century 
and later by the Dutch, who hoped to discover the 
mine of Solomon and the rich storehouse of the Qiieen 
of Sheba. The meager knowledge of this part of the 
world, the inaccessibility to transportation and the 
opposition of the ferocious and warlike tribes of blacks 
baffled all attempts and prevented the settling and 
exploration of this wild and rugged country, and the 
opening up of this rich country, which now comprises 
the Orange River Colony, the Transvaal and Natal 
Colonies, was left to the intrepid and God-fearing 
Dutch pioneers, or Boers, who by untold suffering per- 
sisted in pushing up further inland and, finally defeat- 
ing the blood-thirsty and treachereus Zulus, came into 
possession of this country, which they looked upon as 
the "Land of Promise,*' given into their hands by the 
Almighty. 

Page thirty-eight 



HE DIAMOND 



^ A traveler, chancing to stop at the home of one of 
these sturdy pioneers, noticed a little boy playing with 
what the little fellow supposed to be merely pebbles 
which he had picked up, but among which the shrewd 
eye of the traveler recognized a diamond of unusual 
size. Giving the boy a few coins for bis prize, the 
man returned to Hopetown and later sold his purchase 
for a large sum. This was then the signal for a 
stampede to the district which was destined to produce 
such vast wealth and, incidentally, the largest dia- 
monds the world has ever known, as well as stones of 
the finest quality. Owing to the peculiarity of the 
diamonds found in South Africa, their quality can be 
judged more accurately in the rough than those found 
in any other part of the world. 

^ The mines are now controlled by a syndicate em- 
bracing the most important properties, the Kimberly, 
Premier, Jagersfontein, and De Beers, which are 
worked almost entirely by machinery and have reached 
a depth of about 3,000 feet. Instead of employing 
the vast army of workers as was done in Golconda, 
only about 14,000 men are employed, which total is 
made up principally of blacks. The average of 
diamonds mined are estimated at about 20 carats per 
100 loads of dirt taken out, the laborers receiving an 
average of 75 cents to $1.25 per day. 
^ Australia likewise has produced some exceedingly 
fine diamonds and the richness of the ground has 

Page thiity-nine 



THE DIAMON D 

astounded mineralogists. It has been estimated that 
the wash dirt in the Monte Christo mine would yield 
about 30 carats of diamonds to a load of 27 cubic, 
feet, while one barrow load yielded 146 diamonds, 
but owing to the more or less limited area of produc- 
tion, this country has never been seriously considered 
as a diamond-producing country. 

CI The United States has also contributed to the 
world's supply of diamonds, but in a very m.eager way, 
as the diamonds which have been found have been from 
a widely scattered area, the latest diamond find being 
reported from Arkansas, but to date has not assumed 
any importance. Arizona, which contains consider- 
ably m.ore than its share of Meteorites, has furnished 
one theory for the solution of the finding of a few 
diamonds here and there broadcast over the United 
States. The late Dr. A. E. Foote, of Philadelphia, 
who upon cutting into one of these iron masses discov- 
ered certain hard particles, the exact nature of which 
he was unable to determine; he, therefore, submitted 
these to Prof. G. A. Koenig, who, upon careful 
examination and testing, declared them to be dia- 
monds. This discovery was later verified by dissolv- 
ing meteorites with acids and thereby liberating the 
diamonds. These experiments have therefore given 
rise to the theory that meteorites, which have fallen in 
various parts of the United States, have become dis- 

Page forty 



THE D I A . M. . O N D 

solved through means of the action of the elements on 
the iron, converting it into rust and liberating the 
diamonds. So that, after all, the old Hindoo idea 
that diam^onds were particles of celestial bodies might 
in some instances be true. 

^ In following the history of the great diamonds of 
the world, the evolution in the art of cutting and the 
great care exercised by the mines today in grading 
them as to their purity and color, all tends to show the 
high favor diamonds are held in and that a diamond 
combining the points of merit, as herein stated, is ever 
an object of increasing admiration and pleasure. 

^ To quote the eminent diamond expert, Edwin B. 
Streeter, '*A diamond should be a real possession, 
affording pleasure to the wearer and the spectator, and 
with fair usage retaining its intrinsic and marketable 
value, undiminished by lapse of time and, if fine^ 
rather increasing in value than otherwise." 



Page forty-one 




SOLD AND DIAMOND ORNAMENT 

Page forty-two 



JOHN KAY AiJD COMPANY 



HE D I A M O N 



The Carat Weight 

^ The word carat is derived from the name of a bean, 
the fruit of the Erythemia, which grows in Africa. 
This tree is known to the natives as "Kuara," meaning 
Sun, as both the blossom and fruit are of a rich golden 
color. When dried this bean is nearly always of the 
same weight, and in the early days was used in 
Shangallas, the principal market in Africa, as the 
standard weight for gold. Later these beans were 
imported into India and used in weighing diamonds. 

^ There are 58 facets on a diamond, 33 on the top 
and. 25 on the bottom. 

PROPERLY CUT DIAMONDS 

1 . Sharp edge girdles. 

2. Perfectly round, 

3. Facets evenly laid. 

4. Table 2/5 of spread. 

5. Spread twice the thickness, which gives 1/3 above and 2/3 

below the girdle. 



CHEAP DIAMONDS 

1 . Poor color. 

2. By cutting a rough diamond either too thick or too thin. 

3. Not round. 

4. Thick girdle. 

5. Badly flawed. 

6. Uneven facets. 



Page forty-three 



H 



D I 



A 



M 



N D 



^ Diamonds found in Australia are harder than those 
found in any other part of the world. 

^ Diamonds found in South Africa differ from those 
found in other parts of the world, in that they are 
brighter and free from incrustation, which allows the 
detection of any defects while in their natural state. 

^ The most important collections of precious stones in 
Europe are in the National Museums in Vienna, 
Amsterdam and Moscow. 



FAMOUS DIAMONDS AND THEIR WEIGHTS 

Original Weight. Present Weight. 

Kohinur 793 carats 1 06 carats 

Shah 95 

Egyptian Pascha 49 

Polar Star 40 

Hope Blue \\2y4 " 44J4 

Empress Engenie 51 

Nassah 82% 

Great Mogul 7871/^ " 279 9-16 

Sancy 53 12-16 

Orloff 19434 

Regent 410 " 136 14-16' 

Florentine 1 33|/s 

Piggott 8214 

Star of the South 254]/^ *' 124 9-16 

Cullinan 3032 

Excelsior 971 



Page forb'-four 



HE ^DIAMOND 



BIRTH STONES 

JANUARY 

By her who in this month is born, 
No gems save Garnets should be worn, 
They will insure her constancy, 
True friendship and fidelity. 

FEBRUARY 
The February born shall find 
Sincerity and peace of mind. 
Freedom from passion and from care. 
If they the Amethyst will wear. 

MARCH 
Who on this world of ours their eyes 
In March first open shall be wise, 
In days of peril, firm and brave. 
And wear a Bloodstone to their grave. 

APRIL 
She who from April dates her years, 
Diamonds should wear, lest bitter tears 
For vain repentance flow. This slone. 
Emblem of innocence is known,, 

MAY 
Who first beholds the light of day 
In Spring's sweet, flowery month of May, 
And wears an Emerald all her life, 
Shall be a loved and happy wife. 

JUNE 
Who comes with Summer to this earth. 
And owes to June her hour of birth. 
With ring of Agate on her hand 
Can health, wealth and long life command. 



Page forty-five 



HE D I A M 






BIRTH STONES 

JULY 
The glowing Ruby shall adorn 
Those who in July are born ; 
Then they'll be exempt and free 
From Love's doubts — anxiety. 



Wear a Sardonyx, or for thee 
No conjugal felicity; 
The August born, without this stone, 
'Tis said, must Uve unloved and lone. 

SEPTEMBER 
A maiden born when Autumn's leaves 
Are rustling in September's breee, 
A Sapphire on the brow should bind, 
"Twill cure diseases of the mind. 

OCTOBER 
October's child is born for woe 
And Life's vicissitudes must know; 
But lay an Opal on her breast 
And hope will lull those woes to rest. 

NOVEMBER 
Who first comes to this world below, 
With drear November's fog and snow, 
Should prize the Topaz's am.ber hue, 
ErnLlem of friends and lovers true. 

I ECEMBER 

if coia i^ecen-ioer gave you birth — 
The month of snow and ice and mirlh- 
Place in your hand a Turquoise blue; 
Success will bless whate'er you do. 



L?/ 



^ 6s^-£) 



! 



Page forty-six 



